For Lennie
by nij2401
Summary: Kind of a prequel to 'Time does NOT end all wounds', but not really and there's no order. George tells Curley just what he thinks of him. Also slips in some of my opinions about Curley's wife. Rated T for language.


It was Sunday, which was, funnily enough, the last day a the month. Three weeks exactly since I did the unthinkable. The other guys were out at Susy's flophouse. Candy and I set in the bunkhouse playing euchre. Neither of us was interested in the game, though. We knew that we were both thinkin' o' the same thing - Lennie. My sorta-but-not-exactly brother. Just then, in walked that bastard we call Curley.

"Hey, Milton! I need ta talk to ya. Alone," he yelled. Ever since I did - _it - _he called me by my last name. I didn't call 'um any damn thing. Didn't speak to 'um if I could 'elp it.

"Why can't I stay here? Candy has a right ta know what we're discussing." I wouldn't a done this before but something new surged through my veins. Vengeance? Anger? God only knows what.

Curley looked like he was about to argue, but then his expression softened. "Fine by me," he said.

He pulled up a chair and set down with us. I shifted away slightly. He noticed, but didn't seem ta care.

"Listen, Milton," he said softly, "I bet you're wonderin' why didn't hand your sorry self ta the cops yet."

I didn't answer. I didn't wan' 'um ta know that that was _exactly_ what I was thinkin'.

"Well, it's b'cos I think whatcha did to that big oaf was right. I coulda got 'um myself, and made 'um die more painfully. Serves that large lump of a bastard right for messin' with my wife. MY WIFE! Who the hell did 'e think 'e was? I coulda-"

"Stop."

"What did you say to me?"

"Stop it, ya bastard!" I said that last sentence unnecessarily loudly, just ta prove my point.

"How dare you say that ta me, ya son-of-a-bitch!" He raised his arm to punch me, but somehow or the other I managed ta block it.

"You know what I think you think? Because my boss is your daddy, you think you can push me around every damn which way. But I ain't standin' for it."

Curley's mouth tensed up into a stiff line. "So? That still don' justify what he did to MY WIFE! MY WIFE!"

Somethin' about the way he said _my _wife ate away at the back a my mind. As Curley ranted on, it hit me like a bucket a cold water.

"Who knows? If we carry on obeying your rules for long enough, we might turn into that goddamn wife a yours." I said, strugglin' to keep my voice even.

"What d'ya mean by that, Milton?"

"I mean what I said. I mean that your wife had ta live by your rules. Ya never let 'er do anythin'. I mean, she was always lookin' for you. Your word was law. I betcha you didn' even love the woman! I bet she was jus' an object for attention, yet we barely even knew her. Curley's wife, Curley's wife, we called her. As if she were your property and had no mind of 'er own. In a way, you're kinda alike. Both a ya, needin' attention an' love, but ya barely gave each other any. Glove fulla Vaseline." I spat on the floor, before carrying on. "I guess that's why she started flirtin' with Slim an' the rest. We all thought she was a tart. We thought it was her own nature. Part of it prob'ly was, but it was mainly YOU! If you hadn' done that, LENNIE AND YOUR WIFE MAY HAVE SURVIVED!"

Silence. How I came up with that monologue, I can't say. How I thought all that stuff about Curley's wife on the spot, I can't say either. I guess I had a suspicion before, but only now did it come to the fore. Candy stared at the floor. Guess he'd never thought like that before. Curley stood there, gapin' like a goldfish. I would have laughed were it not for the situation. I knew I was physically taller'n Curley, but this was the first time I _felt_ taller'n 'im. Curley lifted his arm to punch me, but I blocked it again. A new kind of energy rushed through me.

"But ya know what? I ain't gonna take your orders anymore. No sir, I'm takin' my month's pay and leavin' this goddamned place. Tomorra mornin'." I said softly.

"And I'm comin' with ya. For Lennie." Candy stood by my side.

"And me too. For Lennie." Slim burst in through the door. "Sorry I had ta eavesdrop. I jes' didn' feel right burstin' in durin' this... lively argument." I knew that Slim wanted a better phrase. This weren't just an argument, it was so much more'n that.

Curley stood lookin' at all of us. He pursed his lips an' gritted his teeth. But then he saw Slim's expression. If looks could kill, Curley woulda been strung up from a tree.

"Fine by me," he said, "you go on ahead, you bastards. I don' need you. I don' need anybody. Run off by yourselves an' die. See if I give a damn."

Curley stormed outta the bunkhouse, his face lookin' like thunder.

We left the next mornin'. Slim and Candy and I. We packed our bindles an' just left, with a new 50 bits in our pockets. Just walked on towards a land we couldn' see, towards a future we couldn' see.

For Lennie.


End file.
